A nurse is developing a plan of care for a client with a chronic respiratory problem. When developing appropriate nursing diagnoses for this client, the nurse needs to keep in mind that:

Question

A) the interventions planned must be within the nurse's scope of practice.
B) the problem's existence requires validation by the physician.
C) the main focus is on monitoring the body's pathophysiologic response.
D) The signs and symptoms of the disease are part of the information conveyed.

Answer 1

Ans: A
Feedback:
A nursing diagnosis describes an actual, risk, or wellness-human response to a health problem that nurses are responsible for treating independently. Nursing diagnoses describe the client's response to the disease process, developmental stage, or life process and provide a convenient way to communicate nursing therapies or interventions. Nursing diagnoses carry legal ramifications. Only health care problems within the scope of nursing practice can be identified as nursing diagnoses. A nurse cannot diagnose a medical disease and is not licensed to independently treat such a problem. Although nurses may identify a problem, medical diagnoses require validation by the physician that the problem exists. The main focus of a medical diagnosis is on monitoring for pathophysiologic responses of body organs and systems. Medical diagnoses convey information about signs and symptoms of disease and provide a convenient means for communicating treatment requirements.